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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24123901">Beginnings</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/walkwithursus/pseuds/walkwithursus'>walkwithursus</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>What We Do in the Shadows (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon-Typical Violence, Developing Relationship, First Meetings, Getting Together, Hero Worship, In a Vampire/Familiar way, M/M, Mental Disintegration, Pining, Prequel, Questioning Sanity, Slow Burn, Underage Drinking, Unrequited Crush, and by slow burn i mean you will have to be like guillermo, and take solace in any crumb of affection this oblivious and uncaring vampire happens to show</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 15:54:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>16,352</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24123901</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/walkwithursus/pseuds/walkwithursus</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The circumstances by which Guillermo met and became Nandor's familiar.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Guillermo/Nandor the Relentless (What We Do in the Shadows TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>78</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>168</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Dead and Lovely</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>cw for f-slur</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Guillermo had been working the closing shift at Panera Bread for only a few short months before he noticed something strange was going on. Not in the restaurant itself, but at the bus stop across the street. From his station at the cash register, Guillermo had a decent vantage point of the covered bench and sidewalk outside, boring in and of itself but for the bizarre, costumed man whose appearance Guillermo began to look out for on nights like tonight. </p><p>He was hard not to notice. Flowing black cloaks and strange neck wear weren’t exactly common around Staten Island, and the stranger’s long hair and beard certainly hadn’t been in fashion for the last three decades at least. But while it was the man’s bizarre, out-of-place appearance that had initially attracted Guillermo’s attention, his unusual mannerisms soon became the focus of his nighttime musings. </p><p>For one thing, the man never seemed to actually get on or off any of the buses that passed the stop. In fact, he usually just got up off the bench and walked away after a certain amount of time had passed, which could vary anywhere between a few minutes to a number of hours. He never spoke to anyone, and he carried no phone, book, nor newspaper to keep himself occupied. </p><p>Guillermo had spent countless closing shifts trying to puzzle the man out. From FBI to stalker, performance artist to mental patient, nothing seemed to fit. Even tonight, as Guillermo squinted through the window at the familiar figure across the street, he felt no closer to diagnosing him than he had six months ago. </p><p>It was shortly after 9pm. Guillermo’s shift had ended five minutes ago, and yet he hovered in the back room after locking the front doors of the building. As interesting as the strange man undoubtedly was to ponder, the prospect of heading out there now to wait beside him for the #7 bus made Guillermo’s skin crawl. </p><p>“Is the weird guy at the bus stop again?” Guillermo's shift supervisor, Tammy, asked, not looking up from her paperwork. </p><p>“Yup.” </p><p>“Do you want me to give you a ride home?”</p><p>Guillermo shook his head. “No. It’s okay. I should get going.”</p><p>Really, there was nothing to be afraid of. Eccentric characters were common in New York City, and as a lifelong user of public transportation, Guillermo had seen more than his fair share. There was no reason this one man at this one particular bus stop should be any different than the dozens of other weirdos that had crossed his path.</p><p>Tammy finished counting a handful of dimes and looked up. “Do you have pepper spray?”</p><p>“Bear mace,” Guillermo replied, reaching vaguely for the key chain on his backpack.</p><p>“Cool. Well, text me when you get home so I don’t worry.”</p><p>“Will do,” said Guillermo, and with that he headed out the auto-locking back door of the restaurant and began the long walk around the building. He walked slowly, glancing at his watch and hoping that if he gave it enough time, the man would be gone by the time he turned the last corner. </p><p>Guillermo had no such luck. The stranger was still there when he rounded the building, sitting on the bench with his long black cape fanned out around him. Guillermo steeled his resolve. He had never actually stood at the bus stop with him before. It was entirely possible he was just a normal guy. And anyway, maybe he would be friendly, and Guillermo would finally be able to ask what the crazy get-up was all about. </p><p>He was about to make his way across the street when the door of the GameStop next door chimed open and a man walked out, whistling and carrying a plastic bag in his hand. Guillermo stopped short. He recognized him immediately; an old classmate, Patrick Parisi. They’d sat next to each other in high school chemistry. Patrick had made a habit of copying off Guillermo’s tests. </p><p>Guillermo hung back. The last thing he needed right now was for Patrick Parisi to catch him in his Panera apron and launch into yet another self-congratulating spiel about how he’d gotten a fast food job at sixteen, not for the money, but because he was bored. Fortunately, he could see Patrick’s car nearby. Guillermo recognized the vehicle well, having seen it often enough throughout his high school career. The bright red mustang was parked in the handicap spot just out front, gleaming even under the dim street lamps. Guillermo waited impatiently for Patrick to get in, only to frown as the man’s jaunty step slowed to a stop and his irritating whistle died on the wind. </p><p>Guillermo followed Patrick’s line of sight to the bus stop across the street. It was like something out of a horror movie; the strange, cloaked man was now standing, his hands spread in an oddly welcoming gesture. Guillermo had the strangest impression that Patrick recognized him, and judging by the smile on his face, the strange man recognized him too. Like a puppet on a string, Patrick bypassed his car as if it weren’t even there and headed straight for the bus stop on the other side of the road.</p><p>Guillermo couldn’t believe what he was seeing. His mind raced trying to come up with an explanation for Patrick’s behavior. The only thing he could think of was that perhaps he had stumbled upon some sort of hookup, and the strange man in the cloak was like a fancy male prostitute. He was certainly good looking enough, in a niche sort of way (though Guillermo recalled on several occasions Patrick having called him a ‘goth faggot’ in high school, so he didn't think the man was his type). Then again, he hadn’t thought Patrick to be gay, either, so this night was full of surprises. </p><p>They were leaving the bus stop and heading for the nearby Great Kills Park. From his hiding spot behind a minivan, Guillermo checked his watch. His bus was due to arrive in less than ten minutes, and if he missed it, the next one wouldn’t be there for another hour. In the opposite direction, the darkness of the park was about to swallow the two men whole. Guillermo had only seconds to decide which path to choose. </p><p>Throwing a last, fleeting glance at the bus stop, Guillermo set off after the two figures on foot. The key chains on his backpack jingled lightly with every step, and he reached a hand around to grasp and silence them in his fist. He kept to the shadows as the two men strolled through the park, not talking or touching that Guillermo could see, but walking purposefully further and further along the path.</p><p>Within a few minutes, they came to a stop beneath the spidery branches of a maple tree. Guillermo felt very stupid as he crouched down behind a thicket of rose bushes, watching what was about to happen with bated breath. A flame of embarrassment burned in his chest as the stranger stepped forward, cupping Patrick’s cheek and leaning in as though to kiss him. His long, strong arms wrapped around Patrick’s waist, pulling their bodies flush together as his lips trailed sensually down Patrick’s neck. </p><p>There was a strangled, throaty sort of gurgle. Patrick began jerking in the man’s arms, which no longer seemed to embrace him but to cage him in. Sneakers squealed against the sidewalk and then kicked in midair as Patrick was lifted off his feet, his body crushed in an unnatural, broken sort of way against the man’s chest. Gradually, the kicking subsided until the toes of Patrick’s Nikes pointed straight down at the ground. The stranger pulled his head back sharply, and the sound he made was so awful, so frightening Guillermo felt all the hairs on his body stand on end. With unnatural strength, the assailant flung Patrick’s lifeless body like a rag doll into the bushes before turning in Guillermo’s direction with a whirl of his cape. </p><p>“Oh shit,” Guillermo whispered, gasping for breath. “Oh fuck. Oh shit.” </p><p>He had to get out of there. He had to call Patrick’s mom, the police, <i>somebody</i> and alert them to what he had just seen. Guillermo lurched noisily to his feet and began stumbling in the direction he had come, shooting a frightened glance over his shoulder at his would-be attacker. His head was swimming, and his legs felt like Jello, unsupportive of his weight. A roaring filled his ears as his vision began to fade, and Guillermo recognized with panic that he was about to faint. </p><p>“No no no no no,” he moaned, windmilling his arms and fighting the blackness that threatened to engulf him. </p><p>He was unconscious before he hit the ground. When he came to, someone was helping him to sit up and patting his back in an awkward, soothing manner. </p><p>“There there, little human. Here, drink some of your water.”</p><p>Groggily, Guillermo raised his chin toward the voice and felt his heart seize with fear. The man from the bus stop was crouching down beside him, holding the bottle of flat Sprite that had been in the mesh pocket of Guillermo’s backpack. With shaking hands Guillermo accepted it, but made no move to bring it to his lips. </p><p>He really was in a horror movie. Dark, hypnotizing eyes gazed at him from under a pair of heavy brows, while the lower lip and chin were smeared with glistening red blood. Guillermo fumbled with his key chains, trying and failing to find the bear mace.</p><p>“You’re a v-v-va-va-vam—”</p><p>The heavy black brows knit together in an expression of pity. </p><p>“Vampire?” the stranger supplied helpfully. </p><p>Hearing the word seemed to snap Guillermo out of it, and he was able to take a few much needed deep breaths. At the man’s urging, he unscrewed the cap on his drink and took a shaky sip. It settled his stomach, which till that point had been roiling violently, threatening to regurgitate the seasonal autumn squash soup he had eaten earlier that day.</p><p>“Are you going to drink my blood?” Guillermo gasped eventually, wiping his mouth on the back of his sleeve.</p><p>The vampire’s lips peeled back in a smile, revealing huge, red-stained teeth.</p><p>“Kind of you to ask, but I just ate. You are bleeding, though.”</p><p>“I am?” Guillermo looked down to see a spreading red stain on the knee of his khaki pants. He quickly covered it with his hand. </p><p>“You’ll need to clean that when you get home,” the man continued, in a tone Guillermo could only describe as bossy. “There’s probably dirt in the wound. What are you doing out here all alone, anyway? Falling down on the ground and hurting your pathetic human body?” </p><p>“I was walking to the bus stop, when…” A series of rapid-fire images played through Guillermo’s mind, memories of the past few minutes. For the first time since he’d regained consciousness, Guillermo looked over his shoulder toward the bushes where Patrick’s body had been thrown. “Patrick,” he breathed, fighting a fresh wave of dizziness.</p><p>“Your friend?” </p><p>Guillermo shook his head. </p><p>“But you know him.”</p><p>“Yes. I mean, we went to school together. But he wasn’t my friend.” </p><p>There was a beat of silence. The stranger gazed at him with an inscrutable expression before standing in one fluid motion. Guillermo stared up at his towering figure before noticing the pale, long-fingered hand that had been offered. Cautiously, Guillermo accepted it and was pulled to his feet as if he weighed nothing at all. </p><p>“What is your name?”</p><p>Guillermo tried to recall if there were any folklore warnings against giving your name to vampires. Nothing sprang to mind.</p><p>“Guillermo,” he admitted. </p><p>“Guillermo,” the stranger tried, butchering the name on his foreign tongue. “Let me walk you back to the bus stop, Guillermo. It’s not safe around here this time of night.” </p><p>Guillermo’s eyebrows shot up. “R-Really?” </p><p>“You would prefer I leave you to walk alone?” </p><p>To be perfectly honest, Guillermo wasn’t sure what he would prefer, though the idea of being alone in the park with Patrick’s corpse only a few yards away was deeply upsetting. </p><p>“No, no. Um. Thank you,” Guillermo replied.</p><p>He fell into step beside the cloaked figure, watching his movements out of the corner of one eye. Guillermo half-expected the vampire to glide, but instead he took long, measured steps, the heels of his boots clicking on the pavement with each stride. Guillermo got the impression that to the vampire, helping Guillermo now was a bit like helping a baby bird back into its nest — after intentionally killing and eating one of its siblings right in front of it.</p><p>“Do you have a name?” Guillermo asked, hoping to break the oppressive silence. </p><p>“Of course I have a name,” the stranger scoffed. At Guillermo’s expectant look he continued. “They call me Nandor the Relentless.”</p><p>Wow. A name and a title. Nandor must be a very impressive vampire indeed. Or did all vampires have titles? Guillermo wasn’t certain. He could feel himself calming down now, the terror of the last few minutes replaced by pure excitement and adrenaline. Unfortunately, Nandor didn’t seem particularly interested in having a conversation with him, but as this was likely to be his one and only chance to talk to a vampire, Guillermo was desperate to make it worth his while. </p><p>“How old are you?” asked Guillermo.</p><p>There was a soft, offended hiss from beside him. “Bit of a rude question.”</p><p>“Sorry. It’s just, you’re immortal, right? So you’ve probably been alive for a long time.”</p><p>“Since 1262,” Nandor replied. </p><p>Guillermo very nearly tripped over his own two feet. <i>1262!</i> If Guillermo’s mental math proved correct, that would make Nandor nearly 750 years old. Born long before Shakespeare, Isaac Newton, King Henry VIII, and all the other historical figures that raced through his mind. America hadn’t even been a country yet. The New World hadn’t even been contacted. </p><p>They emerged from the park back out onto the street. Guillermo felt a surge of relief at being back under the street lamps and within view of the passing cars. In the distance, Guillermo could see Panera Bread, and next to it the GameStop that Patrick had come out of. His red mustang was still in the parking lot.</p><p>“So, is this place like, your hunting grounds?” Guillermo asked, thinking back to the numerous times he had seen Nandor loitering around the area. </p><p>“Why do you ask?” </p><p>“No reason. It’s just that I’ve seen you around here before.”</p><p>Nandor looked disturbed. “Have you been following me?”</p><p>“No!” Guillermo said quickly. “I’ve just seen you standing at the bus stop, that’s all. I swear. I work across the street at Panera Bread.”</p><p>“Panera Bread?” </p><p>“The restaurant. We sell sandwiches and stuff. Human food.” The clarification was oddly thrilling to make, and Guillermo had to remind himself sternly that he was <i>not </i>the protagonist of a tween vampire novel. </p><p>“Ah.” Nandor looked thoroughly unimpressed, and Guillermo sensed his pace pick up, as though he couldn’t get this interaction over with quickly enough. Guillermo hustled to keep up. </p><p>“Did you choose GameStop because of the virgins?” he puffed. </p><p>Abruptly, Nandor stopped and turned to face him, his blood-stained countenance looming over Guillermo’s shorter figure. </p><p>“You are very perceptive for a human,” he said severely, eyes narrowed into slits. “How is it that you know so much about our kind?”</p><p>It took a moment for Guillermo to find his voice, the breath having been knocked out of him by an unwelcome rush of fear.</p><p>“I love vampires,” Guillermo confessed breathlessly.</p><p>Nandor raised a disbelieving eyebrow. “You… love vampires?” </p><p>“Yes. My whole life. I never believed they could be real, but seeing you tonight… You were incredible. Watching you… What you did to Patrick... It was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen.” The most gruesome, terrible, horrific thing, to be sure, but still amazing. </p><p>Nandor observed him critically for a moment, dark eyes flicking back and forth across Guillermo’s wide, earnest face. At length, his expression cleared, and he seemed to straighten his shoulders back, preening under the attention. </p><p>“That was nothing,” Nandor said modestly, falling into step beside Guillermo once again. The pace was slower, more amiable. Friendly.</p><p>“It was impressive to me,” Guillermo replied, no longer having to jog to keep up. “You picked him up and tossed him away like he was — like he was <i>nothing.</i> What would it take to impress you, if not that?”</p><p>Nandor hummed thoughtfully. “Something a little more flashy, I suppose. Not too flashy, of course, don’t want to be noticed by any humans. Turning into a mist and catching someone by surprise is good, or draining someone while flying.”</p><p>“Wow.” Guillermo’s head was spinning. Nandor could <i>fly.</i> He could transform into a <i>mist.</i> Were the legends all true? Was there nothing he couldn’t do? Guillermo resisted the urge to beg to see those things now, having already pushed his luck quite enough for one evening.</p><p>“That sounds amazing,” Guillermo murmured wistfully, wishing he could communicate just how desperately he meant it. </p><p>They were rapidly approaching the bus stop. Guillermo found himself dragging his feet, unwilling for this surreal experience to end. The bright sign displaying <i>Panera Bread</i> across the street burned into his retinas, and he wondered how he could ever set foot in there again, how he could return to normalcy knowing what he now knew, having seen what he had just seen. </p><p>All too soon, they came to a stop in front of the covered bench. Dread was pooling in Guillermo's stomach that had nothing to do with witnessing Patrick's gruesome death, and everything to do with the impending departure of the vampire in front of him.</p><p>“So,” said Nandor. “This is where I leave you.” </p><p>“Right. Of course.” Guillermo shuffled his feet. He felt as though something important, perhaps the most important thing in his life, were quite literally slipping through his fingers. “Will I ever see you again?” he blurted.</p><p>Nandor recoiled in what looked like disgust. </p><p>“Why would you want to do that?” </p><p>“I don’t know,” Guillermo replied. He couldn’t explain it. “I just have so many more questions I want to ask you.”</p><p>“I don’t think so,” Nandor said curtly, shaking his head. Guillermo literally felt his heart sink in his chest as Nandor reached up and twirled a hand in front of his face. “In fact, <i><b>you won’t remember anything from tonight.</b></i>”</p><p>Guillermo blinked up into the vampire's face. </p><p>“O...kay,” he said, uncertain as to what had just happened. Was that an attempt at hypnotism? Guillermo couldn’t think what else it might have been, but if that were the case, why hadn’t it worked?</p><p>“Good,” said Nandor, seemingly satisfied with Guillermo’s response. He straightened his cloak. “Farewell then, little human.” </p><p>“Wait—!”</p><p>Guillermo blinked and Nandor was gone. He spun in a circle, looking in every possible direction the vampire could have left in before glancing skyward. He hoped for a glimpse of leathery wings, a soft, hyper-sonic squeaking, but there was nothing. Nandor had vanished without a trace.</p><p>Guillermo collapsed miserably onto the bench and checked his watch. As expected, he had missed his bus by a long shot. The next next one wasn’t due to arrive for another fifty minutes. </p><p>Remembering his promise, Guillermo pulled out his cell phone and typed a quick message to Tammy, letting her know that the strange man from the bus stop had not, in fact, killed him. Of course, the truth was that Nandor had killed someone else instead, but Guillermo neglected to mention it. Somehow, it just didn’t seem relevant.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>
  <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxCZC5dF8D8">Dead and Lovely - Tom Waits</a>
</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. All I Really Want To Do</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After their encounter in Great Kills Park, Guillermo began looking out for Nandor the Relentless everywhere he went. For weeks afterward he found himself glancing over his shoulder, poking his head around every corner, waiting for the moment the vampire would reappear in a flurry of cape and shadow. </p><p>But days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and Guillermo never saw Nandor again. He started accepting every closing shift at work, and on his nights off Guillermo hung around the restaurant under the guise of studying, secretly staking out the bus stop outside through the window. He tried visiting other GameStops, hoping that Nandor would have merely shifted to a nearby location, but he had no such luck. He even began visiting other virgin hot spots: Radio Shack, the library, tabletop RPG stores, all to no avail. </p><p>Nandor had quite literally vanished into thin air, and the crushing realization that he probably wasn’t ever going to see him again was slowly driving Guillermo insane. If it weren’t for the fact that he’d met Nandor at work, he probably would have quit his job. His grades were slipping, his life spiraling, and he couldn’t bring himself to care.</p><p>There were times when Guillermo thought he’d gone crazy, that the entire encounter had been a figment of his imagination. One twenty minute conversation with a vampire supplied by his brain after passing out in the park. The only thing that kept that night real in his mind was the fact that Patrick Parisi had been found dead shortly afterwards, and Guillermo clung to that fact like a life preserver. The papers had reported his cause of death as an animal attack, part of a string of similar incidents in the area. Guillermo alone knew the truth, though he mentioned it to no one. After all, who could he tell? His family would never believe him, and his friends… well, he hadn’t spoken to most of them in a while, anyway. </p><p>He hadn’t had much of a social life to begin with, but ever since he’d run into Nandor in the park, he’d been withdrawing more and more. Though, perhaps fortunately, after two months straight of cancelling on them in favor of staking out GameStops across Staten Island, Guillermo’s weekly laser tag group had put their foot down and forced him to come out. It was Jeremy’s 19th birthday that weekend, and they were celebrating with laser tag and a bar crawl afterward, which would involve testing out the fake IDs Greg had made for them with his fancy new laser printer for the first time. </p><p>Once he was actually out of the house, Guillermo was glad he had gone. His two month laser tag hiatus had really crippled his skills, and he made a mental promise to himself to get back into the game. Two months was long enough to pine after a vampire that may or may not have been a figment of his imagination. From now on, Guillermo was determined to put the whole encounter out of his mind, and return to the steady complacency of mundane life. </p><p>Short on cash as it was and humiliated in defeat, Guillermo ducked out of the last round of laser tag and headed to the bar early to try and grab some seats for the group. Guillermo had never used a fake ID before, and he was fairly sure he didn’t look 21, but the bouncer at the door hardly glanced at the card before waving him through the door. </p><p>It was Guillermo’s first time inside a bar. The interior was crowded and hot, and full of chatting, laughing people. Even though he’d agreed to come along, Guillermo had no intention of actually consuming any alcohol, so he steered away from the line at the bar and drifted over toward the cramped seating section. There were no open tables that he could see yet, and so he ducked into the bathroom to remove his hoodie and stuff it into his backpack. Laser tag was a sweaty sport, and while he’d needed the jacket for the brisk, snowy walk from the arcade to the bar, he no longer wanted to wear it now that he was inside. </p><p>Reemerging in his coolest vintage<i> Interview with the Vampire</i> t-shirt, Guillermo once again scanned the crowded room, searching for an open table. There was only one corner that appeared relatively empty, and Guillermo set off toward it, mumbling ‘excuse me’s’ as he weaved through the crowd. </p><p>As he drew nearer to the table, it became clear that it was not empty, but occupied by a single hulking figure. Guillermo did a double take on the spot and froze in the middle of a swarm of bodies, his heart lurching violently in his chest and his stomach turning over. </p><p>Guillermo couldn’t see the man’s face, but the back of him was strikingly familiar: the proud black bun at the crown of the head, the high collar, and the broad shoulders over which a velvet cape had been thrown. Nandor the Relentless had plagued every waking thought, every dream he’d had for the last eight weeks. Guillermo would recognize him anywhere. </p><p>It was as if all the commotion around him died down to nothing as Guillermo zeroed in on his vampire acquaintance, sitting alone at the table. The last time he had seen him, Nandor had lifted a man off his feet, savagely torn into his throat, and tossed his lifeless body into the bushes. There was a small part of Guillermo, some primal, life-preserving instinct, that conjured that memory and told him to run. Flee. Abandon the bar and book it home as quickly as possible and never search out Nandor the Relentless, a very real and very dangerous vampire, again. Fortunately for Guillermo, it was a very small part, and he soon found himself floating over on pure adrenaline and stupidity, like a fish approaching a worm on a hook, or a mouse sneaking cheese out of a trap. He came to a stop right in front of the vampire’s table, his palms sweating, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. This was it. The moment he had been waiting for.</p><p>Guillermo literally could not have looked worse. He desperately needed a shower after laser tag, and the stupid, garage sale t-shirt he was wearing had stains in the armpits. Still, he might not get another chance, and he doubted Nandor cared about such things as fashion anyway.</p><p>Aware of the presence at his elbow, Nandor glanced up at him with dark, sunken eyes. His jaw opened in surprise, and Guillermo caught a glimpse of sharp, protruding fangs, the presence of which was highly validating. After two months of questioning his own sanity and second guessing the vampire’s existence, at last, the proof was right in front of him.</p><p>“Hi.” Guillermo had to shout a little to be heard over the music. “You don’t remember me, do you?”</p><p>Nandor looked distinctly uncomfortable. “No, I do,” he said warily, his fingers curling into fists on the table in front of him. “You’re that little sandwich boy.” </p><p>Guillermo felt his ears warm considerably. “Guillermo. Can I sit here?”</p><p>Nandor didn’t refuse quickly enough, and so Guillermo shoved his backpack into the booth and climbed in opposite him, his heart hammering as he did so. Nandor looked extremely put out. </p><p>“I’m actually waiting for some friends,” Nandor said pointedly, glancing over Guillermo’s head toward the front door of the establishment.</p><p>“So am I,” Guillermo half-shouted, leaning forward so as to be heard. This wasn’t how he’d imagined their second meeting going — surrounded by drunk people and struggling to talk over their chatter. Still, he couldn’t afford to be choosy, considering he had been beginning to think he’d never meet Nandor again at all. “I won’t take up too much of your time. It’s just that I’ve been waiting for you to come back, but I haven’t seen you since… since that night.”</p><p>“Come back to where?" Nandor asked, squinting across the table at him.</p><p>"The bus stop," Guillermo clarified. "You know, the one across the street from the Panera Bread? Next to the GameStop?"</p><p>Recognition flickered behind Nandor's eyes, and his expression soured. "Why would I come back there?”</p><p>“Why not?” Guillermo asked, frowning slightly. He had seen Nandor there with his own eyes countless times over a period of several months. It didn't make sense that he would suddenly stop going without reason.</p><p>“You told me I was recognizable,” said Nandor, waving a hand as if to indicate his own appearance. “Remember? You said that you had seen me there before, so now I can no longer go back there. It is your fault, really. I’ve been eating like shit lately because of you.”</p><p>“Oh.”</p><p>Guillermo didn’t know what to say to that. Nandor’s accusation hurt his feelings more than he cared to admit. This was how the vampire remembered him — as the irksome human who’d spoiled his favorite hunting grounds and was now interrupting him on a night out. None of the books and movies Guillermo had enjoyed growing up had prepared him for this. He wasn't a Louis, or a Bella, or even that teenager from The Lost Boys. He was a human nuisance, probably doomed to be a meal. Though he probably wouldn't even be so lucky as to end up as that.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Guillermo said, unable to think of anything else to say. What else could he do but apologize? </p><p>“Put yourself in my shoes," Nandor said coldly. "It’s like if you had a cookie and I had spit on it.”</p><p>Guillermo wrinkled his nose at the comparison and tried to pull himself together. “Don’t you think it’s better that I warned you, though? Before you got caught?”</p><p>"Caught by whom?"</p><p>"I don't know. The police?"</p><p>Nandor snorted. "I am not frightened of your little men in uniform. What would they do, sound their car alarms? Flash their lights at me?"

</p><p>"Vampire slayers, then," Guillermo said, drawing from his encyclopedic knowledge of vampire lore.</p><p>The derisive sneer slid off Nandor's face so quickly it was almost comical. Guillermo's chest swelled with pride; he could literally see Nandor's estimation of him changing before his eyes, the vampire's bored, vaguely irritated expression turning thoughtful, reflective. </p><p>“Is that why you are here?" Nandor asked. "You are wanting some kind of a thank you award? A medal that you get for meddling?”</p><p>“No, I—” Guillermo felt blood rush into his face. “I just wanted to see you again,” he confessed, so quietly the words were almost certainly lost in the din of the bar. All his passion, all the excited longing he had built up for the vampire in front of him was swiftly turning to embarrassment. He tried to change the subject, to get back to the point. “So, if you aren’t hunting at the GameStop anymore, where are you going? I mean, have you had any luck elsewhere?” </p><p>A flicker of frustration passed over the vampire’s features. “No, actually. It’s hard to find a reliable source of virgins in this day and age. They’re not easy to come by.”</p><p>“I could help you find more virgins,” Guillermo blurted at once, the words traveling out of his mouth before his brain had entirely caught up. </p><p>Nandor’s eyes narrowed in disbelief. </p><p>“It’s true," Guillermo continued, practically on auto-pilot. "I know tons of virgins. Just wait till you see my friends come in. I could — I could source them for you.”</p><p>Nandor’s lips drew back in a wary snarl, revealing the points of his fangs. “Or I could just eat you now and simplify the matter. <i>Virgin.</i>” </p><p>Guillermo could feel his cheeks turning red. If intimidation was what Nandor was going for, it was working; that or humiliation. Guillermo was experiencing a heaping dose of both at the moment, though he tried not to let it show. </p><p>“Well, you know what they say. Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day. Give a man a rod...”</p><p>Nandor looked at him blankly. </p><p>“And he eats for life,” Guillermo finished. “It’s a metaphor. I’m supposed to be the rod, see, and the virgins are the fish.”</p><p>“I know what it means,” Nandor snapped. “You’ve made your point.” There was a deep, brooding silence as he appraised Guillermo from across the table. Guillermo met his gaze as confidently as he could, while all the while his heart threatened to beat right out of his chest. </p><p>“Guillermo!” </p><p>Guillermo jumped, and he and Nandor turned simultaneously toward the source of the voice. The laser tag team had arrived at last and commandeered a table across the bar. Jeremy was flagging him over, pointing excitedly to a mug of beer in his hand. </p><p>“Shit,” Guillermo whispered. He held up a finger to the group, hoping they would get the hint that he would be right over and that they shouldn’t approach.</p><p>Nandor locked eyes with him from across the table. </p><p>“Those are your friends?” he asked, his voice taking on a deeper, more interested tone.</p><p>Guillermo nodded. “Yes,” he said, feeling suddenly light headed. Oh, God, was this really happening? Had he just inadvertently condemned his friends to death in his haste to pursue a vampire who wanted nothing to do with him? On Jeremy’s birthday, of all days?</p><p>Nandor tilted his head to one side, his eyes flicking back and forth from Guillermo to the group of sweaty men congregated at the other table. Guillermo got the impression that he was deep in thought. </p><p>“You said you know many virgins?”</p><p>“Yes,” Guillermo breathed, unable to help himself.</p><p>“More than just that group?”</p><p>“Yes. Loads. I-I can find them, I know exactly where to look.” That much, at least, was true, Guillermo having spent the last eight weeks wracking his brain for places Nandor might have turned his predatory attentions toward.</p><p>There was a long pause. “I suppose you do owe me,” Nandor said slowly, as though he were loath to admit it. “If it weren’t for your meddling, I could still return to the GameStop. But…" he sighed, deeply, and spread his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Alright. I’ll give you a chance.” </p><p>Guillermo’s heart leapt into his throat. A novel mixture of joy and nausea was waging war in his body cavity, and he wasn’t sure whether he wanted to cheer or throw up. This was an arrangement. A promise to see one another again in the future. Not exactly in the way Guillermo had hoped for, but still, it was something. He literally could not believe his luck. </p><p>“So, how should I get in contact with you? Once I've found them, I mean,” Guillermo asked. “Do you send like a raven or something? Psychic messages?”</p><p>Nandor gave him a look, as though he found Guillermo very tiring to talk to. “Telephone will be fine.”</p><p>“Oh.” The possibility of phoning Nandor was no less exciting than the others had been. Hastily, Guillermo pulled a composition notebook out of his backpack and scrawled the number down. A regular old telephone number with a Staten Island area code and everything. Writing it down was merely a formality — within seconds, Guillermo had it memorized by heart.</p><p>“Don’t call me unless you have found a reliable source of virgins,” Nandor said firmly. “Do you understand? And don’t call during daylight hours. Actually, give me that back. Don’t call at all.” </p><p>Nandor made a grab for the notebook, but Guillermo quickly tugged it out of reach, stuffing it in the large compartment of his backpack. </p><p>“I won’t call unless I’ve found a reliable source of virgins. I promise,” Guillermo said, gazing sincerely into Nandor’s face. </p><p>Nandor’s cool gaze met his for a moment before glancing upwards, looking at something above Guillermo’s head. His eyes widened.</p><p>“My friends have arrived. You must go, quickly.”</p><p>Guillermo whipped his head around so fast he pulled a muscle. A man and woman were making their way through the crowd toward the table, their garb just as ostentatious as Nandor’s. Both strikingly beautiful, both equally bloodless and corpse-like as the vampire sitting across from him. They could only be the people he meant. In a flash, Guillermo stood up and yanked his backpack on, putting several feet of distance between himself and Nandor’s table.</p><p>“I’ll call you,” Guillermo said breathlessly, struggling to tear himself away. Saying goodbye now wasn’t any easier than it had been the first time, although at least now, with the vampire’s phone number, there was the chance of a future encounter. </p><p>Nandor made a shooing motion with his hand and hissed. <i>Hissed!</i> Guillermo didn’t dare linger a moment longer, and hastily made his way toward his laser tag team across the bar, careful to keep a wide berth of Nandor’s companions. Jeremy swung an arm around him as he slid into the booth, already thoroughly drunk. </p><p>“Who were you talking to over there?” he asked loudly, practically shouting into Guillermo’s ear to be heard. </p><p>“No one,” Guillermo yelled back. There was no way he was going to even attempt to answer that question. The urge to glance over his shoulder was overwhelming, but he reigned it in. Guillermo had a sneaking suspicion that while Nandor would not harm him, the other vampires he was with would not be so merciful. He raised his voice, “Hey, what do you guys say we get out of here? Move on to the next bar?”</p><p>There was a murmur of agreement among the group. Guillermo felt a surge of relief. While he may have just agreed to find virgins for Nandor to eat, he wasn't quite ready to sacrifice any of his own friends to him. If they left now and ducked into another bar before Nandor could point the group out to his companions, they might be spared. Guillermo just had to get everyone out of this bar and into the next one quickly so as not to attract attention. </p><p>“Come on, let’s go. I’ll buy the next round,” Guillermo said somewhat forcefully, standing up and pulling Jeremy with him. The rest of the laser tag group climbed to their feet, and Guillermo ushered them all toward the door, bringing up the rear. On his way out he glanced back, and felt a rush of adrenaline as he locked eyes with Nandor from across the bar. Guillermo tore his gaze away and let the door swing shut behind him. </p><p>Once out on the street, Guillermo stopped and took a deep breath, turning his face up toward the falling snow. This night didn't even feel real. He had found his vampire at last, the one he had spent the last two months searching tirelessly for. Nandor had agreed to see him again, or at the very least speak to him. He had given Guillermo his phone number. Guillermo had a way of contacting him now, of maintaining that connection.</p><p>Of course, there was the small conditional matter of finding virgins for Nandor to eat, but Guillermo couldn’t find it in him to worry about that now. That was a problem for future Guillermo. Tonight, he was riding a wave so high, he didn’t think he’d ever hit the ground, and he laughed joyously with his friends as they walked the short distance to the next bar. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>
  <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbtnzbFaFHs">All I Really Want To Do - Bob Dylan</a>
</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Watching Me Fall</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>cw: eating disorder mention</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In the coming days, Guillermo devoted most of his time to thinking about his virgin source. He decided quickly enough that it couldn’t be anyone close to him, for practical as well as emotional reasons. If people within his social circle went missing, it was likely to alert the police sooner or later. That, and he’d also be sad, probably. </p><p>During his conversation with Nandor, Guillermo had felt confident that he knew of the best places in town to procure virgins. What he came to realize in time was that none of those places were a definite thing, and that he was banking heavily on stereotypes. </p><p>Faced with uncertainty, Guillermo fell back on his trusty coping mechanism; he made a list.</p><p>
  <span class="u">Attributes of Virgins</span>
</p><ul>
<li>Young (under 20?)</li>
<li>Shy/nerdy</li>
<li>More likely to be male? (does Nandor have a preference? *ASK)</li>
<li>Religious (Mormon+Catholic)</li>
<li>Ugly (is that a dealbreaker?)</li>
</ul><p>With these things in mind, Guillermo turned to the internet and quickly found what seemed to be a surefire source. The annual Catholic School District spelling bee was taking place at Saint Joseph Hill Academy later that month, and Guillermo was almost positive that this would be his ticket in with Nandor. The guaranteed youth of the participants meant it was more likely that they would be virgins, as did the fact that they were Catholic. Not to mention, spelling bees were usually giant nerd magnets, so really, the odds were stacked in Guillermo’s favor. </p><p>And the chances of anything being traced back to him were slim to none. Despite being raised Catholic himself, Guillermo had attended public school—New Dorp High, to be specific. His mother could never have afforded private school, even when she'd been working two jobs. Not that Guillermo had ever wanted to go to one, but still, the irony was not lost on him. </p><p>Before calling Nandor with the news, Guillermo decided to go to the spelling bee semi-finals, just to be sure the selection was decent. Some of the participants looked much younger than he would have expected—practically children, by his book, but as long as Nandor didn’t object to eating a pubescent fourteen year old, they were good to go.</p><p>Going to the semi-finals also gave Guillermo the chance to scope out the building and determine where the best places might be to snatch someone up, or lure someone away from the crowd. Probably due to the fact that he was a recent high school graduate himself, Guillermo was able to sneak around the mostly deserted hallways and backstage area unnoticed, formulating an ideal hunting strategy for Nandor in his mind's eye. </p><p>As the day of reckoning approached, Guillermo felt satisfied with his research. Yet every time he thought about calling Nandor to relay the details, he found himself paralyzed by fear. Time ticked on until finally the eve of the spelling bee was upon them, and he could delay no longer. </p><p>Shutting himself up in his bedroom, Guillermo flipped his cell phone open and punched Nandor’s number in. The line rang endlessly, each repetition shooting a fresh wave of adrenaline throughout his already overtaxed body. Guillermo was certain he was about to reach the voicemail when the line clicked and a greeting sounded, loud and clear. </p><p>“Yello?”</p><p>Guillermo hung up, his heart pounding. The voice on the other line had <em> not </em> been Nandor. Guillermo would recognize the vampire’s voice in his sleep, and the nasally tone that had greeted him had most assuredly <em> not been it</em>. With trembling fingers, Guillermo yanked out his composition book and double checked the number he had dialed with the one he had written down. It was a match. </p><p>There must have been some sort of mistake. Maybe the lines had gotten crossed somehow, or maybe the person who had answered was some sort of secretary of Nandor’s, a servant who performed menial tasks for him, like answering phones and checking the mail. Wiping cold sweat from his brow, Guillermo summoned his courage and tried the number again, willing himself not to panic this time in the event that a stranger answered.</p><p>“Hello?”</p><p>It was the same voice as before, only slightly more irritable. Guillermo took a deep breath and replied. </p><p>“Hi, may I speak to Nandor?”</p><p>“That depends. May I ask who’s calling?”</p><p>Guillermo hesitated with his mouth half open. He didn’t know who this person was, or whether they should be privy to any of the sensitive information he had to convey over the phone. Still, he had to say <em> something. </em> </p><p>“Guillermo, from the bar,” he said at last, hoping the answer was vague yet specific enough that Nandor would recognize who was calling. </p><p>“Guillermo-from-the-bar,” the man repeated, chuckling in a judgmental way that made Guillermo’s skin prickle. “Oh, Nandor, what <em> have </em> you been getting up to?” Guillermo was about to defend himself but was cut off before he could get a word out. “Give me one sec.”</p><p>There was a rustling sound as the phone was presumably set down. Guillermo used the interim to steady himself, his nose whistling slightly as he attempted a breathing exercise he’d once read about. </p><p>This <em> was </em>Nandor’s phone number; that much was now certain. The fact came as a relief, seeing as Guillermo had spent the last few weeks debating whether or not the number would turn out to be a fake. He let himself grin, basking for a moment in Nandor’s apparent trust of him, before a shout from his phone speaker recaptured his attention. A muffled argument seemed to be taking place on the other end of the line, though Guillermo couldn’t make out any of the words. After a few seconds the speaker crackled and Nandor’s brusque tone blared into Guillermo’s ear. </p><p>“Who is this?”</p><p>Guillermo’s heart skipped a beat. </p><p>“Hello…… sir,” Guillermo said, deciding last minute against the impertinence of addressing Nandor by name. “It’s Guillermo.”</p><p>“What do you want?” </p><p>Guillermo cleared his throat nervously. “I was just calling to follow up about—about that <em> thing </em> we talked about. You remember? At the bar?” </p><p>There was silence on the other line for a moment. Eventually, Nandor replied bluntly, “Are you referring to the fact that you offered to find virgins for me to kill and eat?”</p><p>Guillermo winced. So much for stealth and subtlety. “Yes,” he said. Hopefully the FBI wasn’t listening in on this particular conversation. “Um, there’s a spelling bee tomorrow night. Saint Joseph Hill Academy, seven o’clock. Bring your appetite.”</p><p>“Where?” </p><p>“Saint Joseph Hill Academy,” Guillermo repeated. “Um, it’s off Hylan Boulevard?”</p><p>Guillermo detected a mumbled conversation on the other line, though only a handful of words stuck out to him: church, spelling, bus route, promise. At length Nandor’s voice returned, loud and clear. “Okay. The Hill Academy, tomorrow night. I will be there.” </p><p>“Great,” Guillermo breathed. His chest felt tight, bursting with a sort of anxious joy, and his voice shook slightly with the effort it took to keep calm. “I’ll wait out front for you.”</p><p>“Alright,” said Nandor, and the line clicked and went dead. </p><p>Guillermo flipped his phone shut and clutched it to his chest, right over his furiously beating heart. He’d done it. The night was on. Tomorrow he would present Nandor with his first virgin sacrifice, proving himself worthy of... well, proving himself, at any rate.</p><p>On shaky limbs, Guillermo stood up and tossed his phone onto the bed. After making sure his mother had gone to sleep, he locked himself in the bathroom and spent the rest of the night sitting in front of the toilet bowl, trying not to throw up. </p><hr/><p>Darkness descended over Saint Joseph Hill Academy the following evening. Snow fell lightly across the lawn, sticking to the frozen blades of grass and piling up against the sides of the building. Guillermo shivered as he waited by the front doors, craning his neck for any sign of Nandor. He expected the vampire to appear in a flurry of capes, a specter on the wind, and was therefore surprised when he caught sight of the towering figure walking across the lawn from the bus stop, closely followed by a smaller person dressed in varying shades of beige. </p><p>Excitement washed over Guillermo, chasing away the fear that had been clawing at his insides for the last twenty-four hours, and he bounced on the balls of his feet, both in an effort to stay warm and as a means of ridding himself of a sudden excess of energy. Nandor came to a stop in front of him and Guillermo gaped in spite of himself. The vampire was just as breathtaking in real life as he was in Guillermo’s memories; dark, handsome, and intimidating. A real creature of the night. They had both been sitting down the last time they’d seen each other, and Guillermo had forgotten how tall Nandor was in the flesh. He had to crane his neck slightly to look up at his face. </p><p>“Hi,” Guillermo said.</p><p>Nandor inclined his head in acknowledgement. “Guillermo.”</p><p>Guillermo ducked his face as his cheeks flushed with pleasure. Nandor had remembered his name. The pronunciation was all wrong, but on Nandor’s tongue it was music to his ears. Silently reprimanding himself, Guillermo tried to concentrate on the matter at hand. The spelling bee. Virgins. <em>Murder.</em> “I bought us tickets,” he said, waving a hand toward the door of the school.</p><p>“I hope you bought three,” said a voice, and Guillermo turned in confusion. The man who had followed Nandor off the bus had just caught up with him, coming to a halt directly between the vampire and Guillermo. He was wearing a newsboy hat and glasses, and his nose was red and slightly chapped. His presence formed a trio out of what had moments before been an intimate twosome. Guillermo stared blankly from Nandor to the stranger, awaiting an explanation.</p><p>Nandor grimaced and waved a gloved hand toward the man. “Guillermo, this is my associate—“</p><p>“—roommate—“</p><p>“—Colin Robinson.”  </p><p>Guillermo tried not to let the shock show on his face. Roommate? As in, <em> roommate </em> roommate? Like they lived together in separate rooms of the same residence and split expenses? How very… non-vampirelike. </p><p>“I would offer to shake your hand, but I actually get a little gouty this time of year,” said Colin Robinson, addressing Guillermo in a nasally monotone. “Even the pressure from a light handshake is enough to send me into a flare-up for weeks.”</p><p>“Oh. That’s okay,” Guillermo said warily, clenching his own fingers on reflex. “Um, I didn’t know anyone else would be coming, so I only got two tickets.” He gestured helplessly toward the entrance to the school. </p><p>“That’s alright, I can get my own,” said Colin Robinson. “Actually I think I might be eligible for a discount, on account of my bus pass. Most people don’t think it’s worth it to get the upgraded annual pass because it costs more up front, but actually, if you take advantage of all the offers it includes, it eventually pays for itself.”</p><p>“That’s great, Colin Robinson,” Nandor said insincerely, edging slowly toward the queue in front of the double doors. “We’ll just see you inside then.”</p><p>Colin Robinson held out an arm to block his path. “Actually, I’d prefer it if you guys would wait out here with me. It’s probably dark in there, and if we don’t go in at the same time we won’t get seats together.”</p><p>Nandor visibly grit his teeth. “Alright,” he said, and the three of them slowly meandered over to the ticket line. </p><p>Guillermo’s head was spinning. The nervousness that Nandor’s presence had chased away was galloping back in full force now, and it took every bit of brain power he had not to freak out and run for the hills. Who the hell was this Colin Robinson person? The man looked to be human, and yet he lived with Nandor, a <em> literal vampire</em>. Was it possible that he just didn’t know about his roommate’s condition, and had tagged along to enjoy the spelling bee? The notion seemed far-fetched, and yet, based on the sixty seconds Guillermo had known him, Colin Robinson seemed exactly the sort of person who would attend an event like this for fun. </p><p>Guillermo made up his mind then and there not to say anything incriminating in front of Colin Robinson. Not until he knew whether or not Colin was aware of the fact that Nandor was a vampire, and that they were here to kill someone.</p><p>After a lengthy conversation with the ticket seller, Colin Robinson procured one at half price and held it up victoriously. “See? What did I tell you about the bus pass?”</p><p>Guillermo didn’t have the energy to respond. “Shall we go in?” he asked, nodding his head toward the shortened line.</p><p>Nandor nodded, and Guillermo led the way to the back of the line, where ticket taking teenagers were muttering greetings and passing out programs on neon paper. </p><p>“It’s a good thing they’ve got a little welcoming committee right at the door,” Colin Robinson commented nonchalantly as they slowly shuffled forward. A blonde girl attempted to hand him a pink program, but he refused it. “Actually, could I get one of the yellow ones? It’s just that pink is one of the worst colors to print on. Really bad for the eyes, and it’s already so dark in there. I don’t think I could read it otherwise.”</p><p>Guillermo’s cheeks flamed with embarrassment as the girl silently handed Colin Robinson a yellow program. Nandor refused one, and Guillermo accepted for courtesy’s sake, though he instantly thought better of it and threw the program away in the nearest trash can once they were inside. </p><p>They were here to <em> murder </em>someone. He didn’t need a souvenir, or anything else that could possibly tie him to this crime. It was a good thing he’d remembered to wear mittens, or else his fingerprints would most assuredly be all over the paper by now, just waiting for a detective to discover in the ensuing investigation. </p><p><em> Focus, </em> Guillermo told himself sternly, taking a deep breath. <em> Stay calm.  </em></p><p>The auditorium was dimly lit and mostly full by the time they entered. Guillermo led their little trio toward the seating area on the far left side of the room, closest to the stairs that led backstage. He knew from his previous stake-out that this would enable them to slip away undetected when the time came, though he didn’t dare mention it aloud. </p><p>“We should have gotten here earlier,” Colin Robinson complained. “The best seats in the house are in the exact middle of the auditorium. The acoustics are going to be all off if we sit here.”</p><p>“Well, we are not here to listen,” Nandor pointed out as he shuffled along the aisle Guillermo had chosen. Guillermo had been secretly looking forward to sitting next to Nandor in a dark room all night, and was thus furious when Colin Robinson sat down in the seat between them.</p><p>“Some of us are,” Colin Robinson said, opening his program and perusing the contents. “You know, I don’t understand why they have to print it on colored paper at all. What’s wrong with good old black and white?” </p><p>Neither Guillermo nor Nandor answered. Out of the corner of his eye, Guillermo could see Nandor looking at him, and he felt his stomach clench with nervous pleasure. Guillermo turned, and Nandor leaned over Colin Robinson to address him. </p><p>“So, what exactly is this?” he asked</p><p>Guillermo opened his mouth to explain, but Colin Robinson beat him to it. </p><p>“Well, according to the program, it’s the 78th annual Catholic School District spelling bee. You’d know that if you bothered to take one.”</p><p>Nandor’s brow furrowed. “Spelling bee?” </p><p>“Basically a competition where students have to correctly spell various words,” said Colin Robinson. “Incorrect spelling means they are eliminated until there is only one man—or woman—left standing. The words are meant to get progressively harder as they go along, but I think sometimes they start off tough to impress the audience. Unfortunately then, by the time they get to the end, they’re just trading off easy words, and you usually get a stalemate until someone makes a simple mistake.”</p><p>“<em>Tch! </em>Spelling,” Nandor said derisively, having apparently only taken in a fraction of what had just been said. “What does it matter how a word is spelled if it is understandable?”</p><p>“Well, I wouldn’t expect you to appreciate it,” Colin Robinson said, turning to nudge Guillermo conspiratorially with his elbow. He jerked his thumb in Nandor’s direction. “Standardized spelling is actually a pretty recent phenomenon, so, you know, this old timer wouldn’t really get it.”</p><p>Guillermo blinked. If anything, Colin Robinson looked to be around the same age as Nandor, if not a little older. Did that mean he knew, then, that his roommate was secretly a centuries-old creature of the night? Guillermo opened his mouth to ask, but was unable to get the words out before the auditorium lights dimmed. A murmur of excitement swept over the crowd before it slowly hushed, and a young woman with straight brown hair approached the microphone. </p><p>“Good evening. On behalf of the Daughters of Divine Charity, I’d like to welcome you all to the 78th annual Catholic School District spelling bee finals.” </p><p>There was a brief round of applause. Guillermo clapped politely, though neither Colin Robinson nor Nandor joined him. </p><p>“We will begin tonight by introducing our judges,” the woman continued, and she gestured toward the panel sitting at the base of the stage. The judges stood one by one as she called their names and announced their roles within the organization; benefactors and directors all of them. This was followed by an introduction of each of the finalists, most of whom Guillermo recognized from the semi-finals. As the spelling bee began, the woman stepped aside, allowing for each participant to stand up from a folding chair on the stage and take turns spelling various words into the microphone. </p><p>To Guillermo’s horror, Colin Robinson spelled along with them, loudly and with enthusiasm. Nandor looked just as embarrassed as Guillermo felt, and yet he made no effort to put a stop to the disruption, even as people in the surrounding aisles shushed them. Guillermo shrank down into his seat, trying to make himself as small as possible. If police were to interview these people about whether or not any shady characters had been present at the event, they would certainly remember the Dilbert-looking guy and his awkward companions.</p><p>“This is ridiculous,” Colin Robinson said, having just misspelled <em>bondieuserie</em>. “They’re obviously not using the most up-to-date version of Merriam-Webster’s. I’m going to have to talk to the judges after this is over. That girl should have just been eliminated.” </p><p>“Can you be quiet?” Guillermo snapped, having lost his patience at last. Two pairs of eyes considered him in the dark, and Guillermo squirmed with anxiety. He hadn’t meant to be short with Nandor’s friend.</p><p>“I’m starving,” groaned Nandor, kicking his long legs forward until his shins banged against the seat in front of him. Guillermo exhaled the breath he’d been holding. He had been expecting a reprimand, but instead, Nandor seemed glad for Guillermo’s intervention as he leaned over Colin Robinson to speak. “How much longer is this going to take? How many more words could there possibly be to spell?”</p><p>“Well, technically every word in existence has a correct spelling,” Colin Robinson answered. </p><p>Nandor’s face contorted in disbelief. “<em>All of them? </em>” </p><p>“I’m sorry,” Guillermo whispered before Colin could reply. “I think it will be over soon.”</p><p>“It had better be,” Nandor said petulantly, sitting back in his seat with his arms crossed. “You promised me dinner, Guillermo.” </p><p>“I know,” Guillermo whispered. He hadn’t forgotten. </p><p>There were only two students left now. Several minutes passed before the error buzzer interrupted Olivia Pendleton in the middle of spelling <em>autochthonous</em>; adjective, the quality of being indigenous or native, especially of flora or fauna. With a polite, Catholic cheer, 11th grader Dembe Mbabazi was crowned this year’s spelling bee champion, and the event rapidly broke up. Students and families began milling about, creating a commotion that Guillermo was banking on using as their cover to sneak out of the auditorium. </p><p>“Okay, come with me,” Guillermo whispered, standing abruptly and heading for the stairs that led backstage. </p><p>Nandor and Colin were on their feet in an instant, and the three of them weaved through the crowd unnoticed, swift and silent. Guillermo was relieved; he had been half-expecting Colin Robinson to muck this up somehow, but it appeared that when it came down to the crunch, the man knew when to shut up and follow orders. The fact that he was tagging along now meant that he had to know their true reason for being here, and if Nandor trusted him, Guillermo had no choice but to do so as well. </p><p>As predicted, the backstage was mostly empty now that the contest was over, with the majority of students and faculty still milling about the auditorium. The three of them stood in the shadow of a small hallway, observing the trickle of students who mingled about, gathering up jackets and backpacks and re-hashing the event in loud, cheerful voices.</p><p>Guillermo held his breath as he waited for Nandor to speak. This was it, the moment they had been waiting all night for. Nandor could take his pick now. Guillermo had laid a selection of victims out before him, and was about to find out whether his efforts held up to scrutiny. </p><p>“They’re all a bit small,” Nandor said critically. “Very young.”</p><p>Guillermo’s heart sank. He had been worried about that, but had hoped that it wouldn’t be that big of an issue. After all, weren’t most virgins on the younger side? </p><p>“What about her?” he whispered, pointing to a girl who looked to be about his age. He could hear the desperation in his own voice. “She’s probably a senior. Eighteen or so.”</p><p>“Too skinny,” Nandor said dismissively, his eyes sliding over the girl with disinterest.</p><p>“Probably anorexia,” Colin Robinson supplied. “According to some online studies, up to 15% of teenage girls suffer from some type of eating disorder.”</p><p>Guillermo was extremely thankful that the girl hadn’t heard Colin Robinson’s comment. At that moment, the brown haired MC appeared and clapped her hands together, ushering students out of the room. “Don’t forget your jackets, backpacks, and any other items you brought with you!” she called, slowly pacing the area and nudging stragglers toward the door.</p><p>Guillermo felt Nandor shift beside him and looked up. The vampire’s face, which seconds ago had been dull and disinterested, was now alert, eager, his mouth slightly open to reveal the glinting points of his fangs. </p><p><em> Oh, </em> Guillermo realized with something akin to jealousy. <em> Her.  </em></p><p>There was a soft sound, like the flutter of a bird’s wing, and Nandor vanished from Guillermo’s side. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared across the room, towering behind the figure of the brown haired woman with his arms outstretched, ready to surprise her with a deadly embrace. The image was strangely cinematic, romantic even; the innocent woman ensconced in shadow, about to be devoured by the dark and wicked thing that lurked just over her shoulder. Guillermo barely had time to register a struggle as Nandor yanked the woman into a supply closet and kicked the door shut behind him. </p><p>There was a short, muffled scream, followed by a rather long, masculine moan. The sound of it made Guillermo’s hair stand on end as a sickening heat coiled in the pit of his stomach. Despite all the emotional build up, all the fear and dread that had precluded this moment, Guillermo felt strangely calm, if not a little bereft. The fruits of his labor should have been a show, a display of power and sensuality on Nandor’s part; something Guillermo could have looked back on during moments of doubt as proof that it had all been worth it, that all the stress and fear and uncertainty had paid off. </p><p>Instead he was forced to imagine the way Nandor’s fangs would sink into her soft throat, his huge hands gripping and positioning her as though she were a puppet to be moved and controlled by his will. The act was taking place only feet from him, and yet it was no different than any of his other fantasies, confined to his head and limited by his own imagination.</p><p>A rational part of Guillermo’s brain reminded him that it was probably for the best that Nandor had ducked into the closet. They were in public, after all, and at the thought Guillermo flicked his gaze between every available entrance, silently lifting a prayer that no one would come in and interrupt them.</p><p>Beside him, Colin Robinson seemed completely nonplussed. “I had a feeling he’d go after her,” he chuckled. “Predictable.”</p><p>“Really?” Guillermo asked, forcing himself to turn and look at him. It was difficult to focus when he knew what was happening behind the closed door, but he tried hard for the sake of picking this strange man’s brain. “You know what he likes?” </p><p>Colin Robinson shrugged. “You could say that. When you live with somebody for long enough, you pick up on their quirks.” </p><p>A wet, dripping sound was coming from inside the closet, like a leaking garden hose. Guillermo’s heart thumped faster as he imagined Nandor gorging himself on the woman’s blood, the pulse of it so thick and so fast that it flowed over from his mouth to dribble down into his beard. </p><p>“You guys are roommates, right? How long have you lived together, exactly?” Guillermo asked, speaking loudly in an attempt to drown out the noise. </p><p>“Oh, I dunno. Hundred—hundred fifty years? Somewhere around there. Nandor, Laszlo and Nadja moved into my house sometime in the mid-1800s, after my last roommates fled to Mexico.” </p><p>Guillermo blinked. There was so much to unpack there, he didn’t know where to begin. “So, you’re a vampire too, then?” Guillermo asked, deciding to start with the question that had been plaguing him all night. </p><p>“Yup. Energy vampire,” Colin confirmed with a smile. At Guillermo’s blank look he elaborated, “Let me guess, you’ve never heard of us before. That’s alright, not a lot of people are familiar with the concept, even though we’re technically the most common kind of vampire." </p><p>"What's the difference between an energy vampire and a regular vampire?" Guillermo asked.</p><p>"Well, for starters, we don’t survive on blood like these guys,” Colin Robinson said, nodding in the direction of the closet. “We feed on energy. Rage, boredom, grief, frustration; basically any strong negative emotion.”</p><p>The closet door rattled as if it had been kicked, and Guillermo barely kept himself from flinching. “Is that why you came to the spelling bee tonight?” he asked.</p><p>"Yep. I told Nandor I'd help him find the place if he let me tag along. Little community events like this are great opportunities for energy vampires to feed, so I wasn't about to pass this up."</p><p>"Oh," Guillermo replied, unable to think of anything better to say. This was the first he’d ever heard of an energy vampire, and while a part of him wanted to know more, there was a larger, life-preserving part of him that was desperate for Colin Robinson to stop talking. Guillermo made a mental note to ask Nandor more about Colin Robinson later, if he ever got the chance. </p><p>At last, there was a quiet thump, as though of a body hitting the floor, and Nandor emerged from the closet with a sated smile on his bloodied lips. His black eyes held a golden glow in their depths, warm and soft like candlelight. The frightening, ethereal beauty of the vampire in that moment knocked the air out of Guillermo’s lungs, and he stood mesmerized, watching as the glow faded like the slow setting of the sun.</p><p>"Looks like somebody enjoyed themselves," Colin Robinson remarked with a chuckle.</p><p>Guillermo barely heard him. From across the room, Nandor stretched out a beckoning hand, and Guillermo floated over to meet him. The vampire's long, red-stained fingers gripped his shoulder, and Guillermo practically melted on the spot. “Well done, Guillermo,” Nandor said indulgently, brushing his thumb under Guillermo’s shirt collar, right over his skittering pulse. “You have done very well tonight.” </p><p>“Thank you,” Guillermo breathed, soaking in the praise. Nandor had never touched him before, and the gentle strength with which he did so now made Guillermo’s knees want to give out under him; Guillermo would have fallen to them, would have thrown himself on the floor, prostrate, if he thought Nandor would let him.</p><p>“You didn’t even faint this time,” Nandor continued softly, and Guillermo gave a wobbly smile.</p><p>“Wait, you fainted before?” Colin Robinson asked, interrupting the moment and dashing Guillermo’s confidence on the rocks. Nandor’s hand slid from Guillermo’s shoulder and dropped to his side, and Guillermo wanted to scream for the loss. </p><p>"It was his first time," Nandor said defensively, rounding on Colin Robinson with a frown. "And the boy was a friend of his. I'd like to see you watch your best friend get murdered right in front of you and not have an embarrassing reaction."</p><p>"Well, I don't think you'd actually like to see that, because then you'd be watching yourself get murdered," Colin Robinson said, meandering over toward the closet and poking his head inside. Nandor made a disgusted sound and turned away as Colin Robinson asked, “So, what are you going to do about the body?”</p><p>Guillermo was still processing the fact that Nandor the Relentless was Colin Robinson's best friend when his brain caught up with what had just been said. He blanched. <em> The body! </em> How could he have forgotten about <em> the body?! </em></p><p>Nandor seemed to correctly interpret the look on his face, because the next moment he was patting Guillermo consolingly on the arm and saying, “It’s alright. Just leave her there.”</p><p>“Are you sure?” Guillermo asked, fighting a wave of terror. Wasn’t the most important part of getting away with a crime disposing of the evidence? Wouldn’t they get caught if she were found? </p><p>“It is fine for this time. But in the future, you will really need to come up with your own plan for disposing of the bodies,” Nandor said simply, before motioning for Colin Robinson to join them. “Shall we?”</p><p>“Yeah, we’d better skedaddle. It’s a real blood bath in there,” Colin Robinson said, and he took the lead as they left the backstage area and returned to the sparsely populated auditorium. Guillermo brought up the rear, darting glances back the way they had come and trying to keep from hyperventilating. Nandor slowed his pace to walk beside him. </p><p>“So, when is the next spelling bee?” he asked amicably.</p><p>Guillermo had to repeat the question a few times in his head before it truly sunk in, at which point he groaned. <em> Fuck. </em>“They’re only held once every year,” Guillermo admitted, internally berating himself for his ineptitude. “I’m sorry. I know it’s not a regular thing, but I just wanted to make sure that the first place I took you was going to actually work out. I didn’t want to risk bringing you somewhere only for there to be no virgins and end up disappointing you. I’m really sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”</p><p>They had reached the front lawn now. Nandor said nothing as Guillermo rattled off his apology, though Colin Robinson’s eyes flashed in Guillermo’s direction. </p><p>“Sacrificing a nun on your first attempt. Ballsy,” Colin Robinson remarked with a grin.</p><p>"She wasn't a nun," Guillermo said quickly, before glancing at Nandor. "She wasn't. W-was she?"</p><p>"Tasted like a nun," Nandor replied, licking his bottom lip.</p><p>"Oh." Guillermo sped up slightly until he had outpaced Colin Robinson, his breath puffing in the chilly air. He didn't want either of them to see the expression of shock on his face. Nandor lengthened his strides to march alongside him, and Guillermo discretely turned his cheek.</p><p>“Well, if it helps, I think you’re going to make a great familiar," Colin Robinson called happily from behind them.</p><p>Guillermo schooled his features before glancing back at him. “Familiar?” he asked.</p><p>Nandor’s expression immediately darkened, and he turned sharply on the spot, bringing their little group to a halt. “You did fine this evening, Guillermo,” he said firmly. “Do not worry about it. It does not matter to me where you find your virgins, only that you find them and deliver them to me.”</p><p>“Thank you,” Guillermo said, his shoulders sagging with relief. There was an awkward pause. Guillermo could have sworn he caught Nandor delivering a warning look to his roommate, whose irises appeared luminous in the dark.</p><p>“We must go,” Nandor said quickly, and he placed a clawed hand on Colin Robinson’s shoulder.</p><p>Colin glanced between Guillermo and Nandor. “Wait, is he not—?”</p><p>“You may call me again the next time you have found a virgin for me to eat,” Nandor said, bowling over whatever question Colin Robinson had been about to ask.</p><p>Before Guillermo could formulate a response, there was a soft <em> whoosh! </em>and Guillermo was left standing alone on the front lawn, staring at the spot where Colin Robinson and Nandor had just vanished in a cloud of mist.</p><p>"Nandor?" Guillermo called softly, turning in a slow circle. He squinted into the darkness. "Colin Robinson?"</p><p>There was no reply. Guillermo glanced around to make sure no one else had just seen the spectacle before unlocking his feet and trudging toward the bus stop. The adrenaline of the evening was wearing off now, and with Nandor no longer around to posture for, Guillermo let the exhaustion he'd been battling take root at last, bone-deep and numbing. Crawling into bed and laying his head on the pillow had never sounded so good in all his life, and it was all Guillermo could do to keep placing one foot in front of the other until he reached the edge of the property.</p><p>It was only five minutes until the #9 would be arriving. Guillermo settled in to wait, resting his forehead against the bus stop sign and letting the sounds of traffic clear all thoughts from his head. This evening had been crazy, chaotic, confusing, and he didn't think he had the energy to process any of it yet, let alone the last few seconds that had precipitated Nandor's departure.</p><p>Unfortunately, that wasn't enough to stop one word from looping in Guillermo's mind for the rest of the night, following him into his dreams and imprinting itself on his brain like a brand:</p><p>
  <em> Familiar?  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>
  <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWHaTNiTA_Q">Watching Me Fall-The Cure</a>
</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. I Can't Go For That</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The aftermath of the spelling-bee, followed by a difficult conversation.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next morning, Guillermo awoke to the sun shining through broken blinds, flooding his bedroom with golden light. </p><p>In contrast with the beautiful day, Guillermo felt as if he’d been hit by a truck. He hadn’t actually exerted himself physically the night before, so he had to imagine it was a stress-response, the toll the adrenaline and high blood pressure had taken on his body. His head was throbbing, his muscles ached, and he felt thoroughly exhausted despite a full night’s sleep. Peeking one eye open, a glance at his watch told him it was eleven, and that he’d slept for twelve hours. </p><p>Groaning softly, Guillermo rolled over and buried his face in his pillow. Flashes from the spelling bee were coming back to him now in hazy detail; Nandor standing in front of him outside the school building, Nandor towering above the brown haired nun, the sound of the supply room door slamming shut and the auditory massacre that had followed.</p><p>His first night helping Nandor certainly could have gone better. He’d forgotten about disposing of the bodies, and he’d taken Nandor to a one-off event with no future hunting opportunities. Still, Nandor had seemed pleased with him, and Guillermo was beginning to see the spelling bee as a positive thing. If he had simply guided Nandor to another GameStop, or some other establishment where he could hunt for himself, Nandor would have no use for him anymore. There would be no reason for their continued contact, and Guillermo would have either become a meal or a memory for the vampire, if he were lucky enough to become either. </p><p>But if Guillermo played his cards right, he could maintain the role of facilitator, taking Nandor on one-off excursions where they could troll for victims together. Of course, this meant more work for Guillermo in the long-run, in that he now had to figure out a way to dispose of human cadavers, but it seemed a small price to pay for the privilege of a vampire’s acquaintanceship. </p><p>He did feel sad for the victim, but in a far less visceral way then he had been expecting to. It was more of an abstract sadness, like the sort of sadness he experienced when reading about a tragedy in a book or in a newspaper article. Distant, disconnected, far removed. He wondered if he would feel differently if he had actually seen her die, or had seen her body. He wondered what her name was, and if she had a family. </p><p>Was it normal not to feel remorse after killing someone? Not that Guillermo had actually been the one to kill her, but he had played a significant role in her death. The thought that he <i>didn’t</i> feel remorse made Guillermo undeniably anxious. Not to mention the fact that he had furiously beat off the moment he’d crawled under the covers, recalling in vivid detail the wet, slurping sounds that had come from inside the closet and the streaks of blood on Nandor’s glistening teeth. His erection hadn’t flagged after coming once, and so he’d done it again, and then a third time, by which point his ejaculation had been pitiful and somewhat painful but excruciatingly pleasurable nonetheless. </p><p>That <i>definitely</i> wasn’t normal, and the mere remembrance of it made Guillermo want to crawl out of his skin. What was wrong with him? Was he some kind of psychopath, unable to experience grief or regret? Getting off to the murder of innocent women? He didn’t think so. He had certainly felt sad when his abuelita had passed a few years ago, at any rate. And he watched normal porn—most of the time.</p><p>No, he was probably just numb, too traumatized by everything that had happened to have fully processed it yet. And the masturbation thing… for now, Guillermo was content to lock that particular can of worms up in the back of his mind. That was yet another problem for future Guillermo. For now, he needed to stop wallowing and get up.</p><p>Slowly, so as not to jar his aching head, Guillermo slid out of bed and crossed the hall to the single bathroom in the apartment. He took two Advil from the cabinet above the sink and washed them down with water from the faucet before splashing his face. When he closed the cabinet door, he caught sight of himself in the mirror for the first time and nearly jumped out of his own skin. </p><p>A small, reddish-brown stain had been pressed into the side of Guillermo’s neck in the shape of a thumbprint: blood from the victim, transferred to him when Nandor had squeezed his shoulder. Swearing repeatedly, Guillermo yanked his t-shirt off over his head and began scooping water up in his hands, throwing it onto his neck and massaging it into his skin. The mark disappeared quickly until all that was left was a patch of angry red skin where Guillermo had rubbed it. </p><p>Exhaling a sigh of relief, Guillermo yanked the handle on the faucet to turn the water off and leaned over the sink. He was lucky his mom had been asleep when he’d gotten in last night. She would certainly have noticed the blood stain and asked him about it, and Guillermo hadn’t thought to have an excuse prepared. That was yet another thing he needed to think of before his next meeting with Nandor; an excuse for if he was caught with blood on his person. With that in mind, he would probably need to start going over every inch of his clothing to make sure nothing else had escaped his notice, and wash them all himself for good measure. His mom would be pleased about the last part at least.</p><p>Once the panic had faded slightly, Guillermo turned toward the shower. He was already half undressed anyway, and so he turned the water on and hopped in. He stood under the spray a good deal longer than usual, going over every inch of visible skin meticulously for signs of blood. Thankfully, he didn’t find any, though he scrubbed his body raw regardless just in case. </p><p>Ten minutes later he emerged into the kitchen in jeans and a t-shirt, an old towel wrapped around his neck to catch any hair drips. As expected, the rest of the apartment was dark and empty. His mother’s workday started at 5 am and ended at 4 pm, which meant they usually only saw each other in passing as Guillermo headed out the door to his closing shifts at Panera. </p><p>Guillermo often felt lonely cooped up in the apartment by himself. Today especially, the prospect of an afternoon alone made him feel jittery and anxious. He microwaved a hot pocket but left it sitting on the plate, too nauseous to eat and itching to escape the oppressive silence of the four walls. He took the loss of appetite as a good sign. Remorseful humans didn’t have an appetite, right? So the fact that he wasn’t eating had to mean he was feeling something besides excitement over the prospect of seeing Nandor again. Right?</p><p><i>Ugh.</i> He needed to get out of the house. He didn’t have a whole lot of time before his shift that night, but he had too many thoughts buzzing around his brain to put things off any further—namely, what Colin Robinson had said right before he and Nandor had both disappeared.</p><p>
  <i>Familiar. </i>
</p><p>What did that even mean in the context of a vampire? A servant? An apprentice? Guillermo had only ever heard of witches having familiars, but even then, from what legends he could recall, they were usually black cats who fetched herbs and things like that. Some vampires seemed to have servants in some of the movies he’d seen, but they were never specifically referred to as a ‘familiar’. Dracula’s servant Renfield came to mind, though the role was far from glamorous, and made Guillermo’s stomach turn over with unease.</p><p>Guillermo caught the bus to the library so that he could use the internet. He didn’t have a computer at home, and unfortunately, now that he was no longer in school, he didn’t have access to one there either. Unless he went to the public library, or to Jeremy’s house to play video games, he was pretty much internet-less. Not that he wanted to go to Jeremy’s house today, though it was admittedly much closer; Jeremy would want to know exactly what he was up to, and Guillermo didn’t think he could explain that to him yet. </p><p>The line to use the computers was long. Guillermo sat down to wait in an uncomfortable armchair next to the computer area, flipping idly through an anatomy textbook someone had abandoned on a nearby side table. A good thirty minutes passed before it was finally his turn, at which point he took the available seat in the tiny, well-worn desk chair. After waking the keyboard with his mouse, he typed his username and password in with lightning speed. His heart was beginning to race, and he took a deep breath to calm it.</p><p><i>This is not like Twilight,</i> Guillermo reminded himself sternly as he opened up Internet Explorer. The Yahoo news homepage popped up and Guillermo scanned it quickly, holding his breath in preparation for the nun’s death to be headline news. To his immense relief, the main story was some political scandal, followed by a few articles on Brangelina and the upcoming presidential election. Guillermo didn’t care to dig any deeper. He exhaled and opened a new tab, where he typed in ‘vampire familiar.’</p><p>A wikipedia article on ‘familiar’ appeared on the first page of search results, and Guillermo clicked it and read:</p><p>
  <i>In European folklore and folk-belief of the Medieval and Early Modern periods, familiars (sometimes referred to as "familiar spirits" or "animal guides") were believed to be supernatural entities that would assist witches and cunning folk in their practice of magic.[1] According to the records of the time, they would appear in numerous guises, often as an animal, but also at times as a human or humanoid figure.</i>
</p><p>Guillermo paused. So far, this was more or less what he had thought a familiar to be, though there was no mention of vampires anywhere on the page. He continued skimming the article for another minute before opening another tab and googling the same term again. This time, he scrolled further down the first page of search results and opened an article on the Blade Wiki. </p><p>
  <i>Familiars are human beings that have devoted themselves to the vampire nation and pledged themselves to a house or specific vampire leader. Familiars had perks—one of which being if they proved themselves worthy, their vampire lord would turn them and they would be permitted into their inner circle. </i>
</p><p>Guillermo reread the first paragraph again and again. This was it. This <i>had</i> to be it. This was what Colin Robinson had meant when he’d suggested Guillermo was Nandor’s new familiar. </p><p>The rest of the article didn’t seem quite as relevant, having mostly to do with warring vampire-human factions, but the first paragraph was exactly what Guillermo had been looking for. Satisfied, and running out of time, Guillermo printed the page and made a beeline to the help desk, where the librarian helped him look up and check out a battered VHS copy of <i>Blade.</i> Tucking both the paper and the movie in his book bag, Guillermo hustled back to the bus stop, where he read the paragraph over again while he waited to board the bus.</p><p>Familiars pledged themselves in service to a specific vampire in the hopes that one day they might be turned. In this instance, Guillermo had pledged himself to Nandor. Did that mean one day Nandor might turn him?</p><p>The thought had only vaguely crossed Guillermo’s mind before now. In his first few meetings with Nandor, he had been so focused on the excitement of getting to know him it hadn’t even occurred to him that Nandor could potentially turn him into a vampire. It had been enough just to see him, to speak to him and learn more about him. </p><p>But of course Guillermo <i>wanted</i> to be a vampire. It wasn’t even a question. Ever since he’d first seen Antonio Banderas in <i>Interview with the Vampire,</i> ever since he’d put on his first pair of plastic vampire fangs, Guillermo had known this was a wish for him. A far-fetched notion, an unattainable desire, but a desire nonetheless. </p><p>And now that he knew it was possible? The only question on Guillermo’s mind was ‘when.’ When would he be turned? When would Nandor deem him worthy enough? Now that he no longer had to worry about being turned into a meal, he felt all his reservations about the vampire slip away. He couldn’t wait to see Nandor again—to <i>serve</i> him again. The fact that every time he saw the vampire meant another person would die was an insignificant weight on his conscience, overshadowed by the yearning that rose within him.</p><p>As he toiled away at Panera that night, Guillermo re-lived the aftermath of the nun’s sacrifice over and over again: blood smeared lips curved into a smile, yellow eyes smoldering with satisfaction, the feeling of Nandor’s hand on his shoulder, the gentle, firm pressure of fingers squeezing into his flesh and ghosting across his neck. It seemed as if every waking thought Guillermo had was of Nandor, and he couldn’t help but fantasize that the obsession was mutual—that Nandor was thinking of him tonight, and looking forward to when they would see each other next.</p><p>—</p><p>The next time they met, Guillermo took Nandor to a Yu-Gi-Oh tournament in Queens. Mercifully, he came alone, and Guillermo used the opportunity to find out more information about Colin Robinson, and to a lesser extent, Nandor himself. </p><p>Nandor did not seem particularly interested in talking about energy vampires. In fact, as Guillermo soon discovered, keeping Nandor central to the conversation seemed to be a key way to keep him engaged, as he didn’t really enjoy talking about much else. As modest as he may have behaved on their first meeting, the vampire possessed a subtle desire for praise and attention that Guillermo quickly picked up on and used to his advantage. Questions framed in a flattering light were more likely to be answered, while praise lifted Nandor’s spirits and made him more likely to open up. Of course, the moment Nandor caught on to the fact that he was being patronized, it was all over, and so through trial and error Guillermo struck a balance, treading the fine line between admiration and brown-nosing.</p><p>These things came easy to Guillermo. He rarely had to embellish his attention. Though a great deal dumber and less cool than he had initially thought him to be, Guillermo still found Nandor fascinating and worth fawning over, even when he did such stupid things as ask Guillermo to teach him how to play Yu-Gi-Oh.</p><p>Unfortunately, as with most things, the honeymoon phase did fade. Months passed, and their relationship remained stagnant. Nandor made no mention of the offer of immortality, and Guillermo hesitated to bring it up. He almost wished Colin Robinson would tag along on one of their outings again, if only so he could ask him more specifically what it meant to be a familiar, and whether or not that’s what he was to Nandor. </p><p>But he never saw the energy vampire again. </p><p>Eventually, Guillermo met Nandor’s other roommates, the man and woman he had caught a glimpse of at the bar on their second meeting, but he didn’t dare ask anything of them. Guillermo might as well have been a fly on the wall for all the attention Laszlo paid to him, while Nadja seemed to take pleasure in frightening him. Nandor assured Guillermo he had nothing to worry about; they would not eat him, so long as he kept providing them with meals. </p><p>Six months and two dozen dead bodies later, Guillermo finally reached his breaking point. With Nadja and Laszlo now tagging along on their outings more often than not, Guillermo was risking more than ever for even less reward. Their presence usually meant at least one, if not two more bodies to dispose of, and when the other vampires were around, Nandor was callous toward him, blatantly excluding him from conversations and treating him as though he were at worst a pest and at best a pet. </p><p>Guillermo had to know where this was going. He had been more than patient, but he was starting to run on fumes. </p><p>He waited until an evening where it was just he and Nandor to broach the subject. It was summer, now, and more and more community events were being held outdoors. Guillermo had seen an advertisement for a late-night synth festival at a certain park, and decided to bring Nandor there on their next meeting. </p><p>They walked side by side on the bicycle path. Without Nadja and Laszlo there to posture for, Nandor did not complain about the walking, but instead commented on how nice the park was, and how lovely the summer breeze felt. He was in a remarkably good mood tonight, and Guillermo almost hated to ruin it. Six months ago, Nandor’s benevolence would have shut Guillermo up, but tonight, it was all he could do to bite his tongue until they were well and truly alone.</p><p>“Can I ask you something?” Guillermo ventured as they rounded a bend on the trail, disappearing from the immediate view of the other park-goers. “Something personal?” Guillermo was pleased to note that his voice came out remarkably calm, despite the way his heart was racing. </p><p>Beside him, Nandor slowed to a stop. Guillermo turned to face him and found the vampire looking distinctly uncomfortable, his teeth grit together as his eyes flickered warily across Guillermo’s face.</p><p>“I’d rather you didn’t.”</p><p>“It’s really important,” Guillermo persisted.</p><p>“I’m sure it’s not that important. Can we keep walking please?” Nandor gestured to the path in front of them and took a few steps forward. </p><p>Guillermo subtly blocked the path with his body. “I’m sorry, this really can’t wait.”</p><p>“Well, it will have to.”</p><p>“No, it won’t. I’ve been meaning to ask you this for a long time and I need to do it now.” Guillermo took a deep breath, and before he could lose his nerve, voiced the dreaded words aloud. “Am I your familiar?”</p><p>There was a beat of silence. Crickets chirped in the distance, their calls amplified in the darkness. Nandor’s eyebrows furrowed, and a flicker of something—irritation? confusion?—passed over his features. “What gave you that idea?”</p><p>“It’s just that this is what familiars do, right?” Guillermo spread his arms as if to indicate their surroundings, the synth festival at large. “I find victims for you and dispose of the bodies.”</p><p>“That is not <i>all</i> that familiars do,” Nandor said matter-of-factly, his tone gone cold. </p><p>“Okay, so what else is there? What else do familiars do that I’m not doing?”</p><p>“Well, for starters, familiars usually show their master respect, which you are most certainly <i>not</i> doing right now,” Nandor said, all but stamping his foot to emphasize his point. “A familiar is there first thing in the evening and does not leave their master’s side until dawn. A familiar has no time for sandwich making or school or laser tag. I expect my familiar to be by my side 24 hours a day. Familiars find victims, yes, but they also clean. They do the laundry, shopping, dressing, undressing, boot polishing, yardwork—the list goes on. You do none of these things, therefore you are not my familiar.” </p><p>Guillermo was silent through Nandor’s entire outburst, his jaw clicking from side to side. “Well, then what are we?” he asked at last, when finally the vampire had gone silent.</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“This!” Guillermo gestured angrily between the two of them. This was not the calm conversation he had planned in his mind. It was as if everything he’d been bottling up for the last half year was now pouring out, and he was helpless to stop it. “Us! You, me! Our arrangement! What are we doing?”</p><p>Nandor’s mouth opened, though no words came out. His fangs protruded from under his upper lip in a slightly stupid expression. “You find food for me,” he said at last, with the air of a man grasping at straws.</p><p>“And what do I get in return?” Guillermo demanded, raising his eyebrows high over the frames of his glasses. “I risk my life, my freedom, my reputation, <i>everything,</i> night after night, <i>for you</i>. I use my mom's car to dispose of the bodies. Do you realize how much trouble she could get in if I ever got caught? She would be considered an accomplice! Does that even matter to you?”</p><p>“I never asked you to do that.”</p><p>“Well you didn’t leave me much choice. Especially now that Laszlo and Nadja are always tagging along. I mean, do you even know how hard it is to find new places to dispose of multiple bodies? How close I’ve come to getting caught in the last six months? How many victims have washed back up on the banks of South Beach? I do all of this for you, to find food for you and your friends, and what do I get?”</p><p>“I didn’t realize you wanted anything in return,” Nandor said at last, his face impassive. </p><p>Guillermo wanted to scream. He couldn’t tell if Nandor was lying or not. At the beginning of their arrangement, Guillermo had not stipulated anything from Nandor in exchange for his services. Though at the time, it had been enough to know him, to be near him and get close to him. To venture into his world for an evening and sneak a taste of power and brilliance and eternal life. </p><p>Learning about the human slaves vampires kept, Guillermo had assumed—had hoped that’s what he was. A human, who in exchange for his service would one day receive the gift of immortality. He had clung to the idea through the worst moments, through his doubts and his regrets, only now to find it had all been for naught. He was not a familiar. And yet Nandor seemed to enjoy his company at times. Was he just being used? </p><p>“What am I to you?” Guillermo asked eventually, taking a deep, shuddering breath as he folded his arms across his chest. “If not your familiar. Am I your friend?” </p><p>Nandor wrinkled his nose. “I don’t make human friends,” he said flatly.</p><p>Guillermo took an automatic step back. He should have expected as much, should have been prepared for the rejection to sting, but Nandor might as well have reached out and slapped him across the face. He had toiled for this man, had killed for him, and yet he wasn’t even worthy to be his slave, let alone his friend. Lower than the lowest of the low, unworthy of any tie to Nandor, no matter how pathetic.</p><p>Tears pricked the corners of his eyes, threatening to spill over. Six months of wasted time, of risking his life for a future that was never meant to be his. Free labor, without the promise of eventual immortality. Without even a friendship to show for it. </p><p>Guillermo was done. He wouldn’t—<i>couldn’t</i> do this anymore. The risk was far greater than the reward, which was nothing. He thought of his amá, of the faces of his victims, the crime scene photographs where they had washed back up on the beach looking bloated and unrecognizable. He was either going to cry or throw up, and he wanted to do neither in front of Nandor, the root cause of all this pain. </p><p>In that moment, Guillermo did the hardest thing he'd ever had to do; he turned and walked away.</p><p>“Guillermo,” Nandor called, though his voice grew no closer in pursuit. “Guillermo! Get back here!”</p><p>Nandor’s cries were eventually swallowed up by the chirping of the crickets. Tears spilled down Guillermo’s cheeks, and he let out a choked sob as he weaved through the bodies of the concert-goers, heading for his mom’s car. </p><p>Nandor didn’t stop him, and Guillermo didn’t look back.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This chapter had been sitting mostly-finished in my drafts for months! Sorry for the delay. Hope to have the fifth and final chapter up soon.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading! Kudos and comments greatly appreciated.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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